BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The owner of a longtime party and beverage store in town is selling the family business to start a new chapter in her life, but the party will go on.
Hayley Matheny, the owner of Ehrhart’s Party Store, 108 N. Lane Street, plans to officially close the deal March 10. The new owner, she said, will be the DJ Group based in Mason, Ohio.
“We’ve done a lot of work here,” said Matheny, who took over the operation from her parents, Robert and Wanda Berry, in 2020. “A lot of people come back to Ehrhart’s. They remember it as a kid.”
A community staple since 1947, Ehrhart’s Party Store offers a wide selection of liquor, wine, and beer. It also sells party supplies, soft drinks, snacks, and tobacco products with a convenient drive-thru, one of the first of its kind in the state.
Lottery ticket sales, however, account for about half of the business, Matheny said, and the store is proud to be designated a “Super Retailer” for the Ohio Lottery Commission, meaning it can cash game winners up to $5,000.
“We service a lot of lottery customers from all around,” she said. “They come from all around. They come from Tiffin, Caledonia, Mt. Gilead. They come from all over.”
Matheny, a Bucyrus native, worked part-time for her parents at Ehrhart’s, then stayed on as a full-time employee. She purchased the business when the Berry’s – owners since 2008 – decided to retire. The store was founded by John Ehrhart.
During her tenure, the establishment underwent a major transformation inside and out. New curbs, sidewalks, and grass were added, and the bright yellow trim on the brick building was painted tan and cream.
In 2021, interior walls were torn down to make way for a new front entrance and updated lighting throughout. A 150-by-150-foot lot to the south, formerly a car dealership, was also acquired and a new warehouse facility was built on the site.
The business has since invested in a new 12-by-22-foot outdoor cooler. Propane tank exchange services are also available, along with a no-hassle delivery service as a convenience for customers.
Matheny’s husband, Harry, who lends a hand at the business part-time, said the two will stay on for a while to help with the transition period. The name will remain the same, though, and all the longtime employees will stay on.
Because after nearly 80 years serving area residents, the customer-friendly party store – and the Ehrhart legacy – will live on.
“We’re just trying to say goodbye to everybody and say thank you to the community,” he said. “We appreciate all the support over the years and encourage support for the new owners too.”